


oh to be...

by Aquariusgarbag



Series: can’t stand the midwest [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016), Stranger Things - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/F, Femslash, Fluff, Study Buddies, alternative universe, genderbent au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 14:02:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18874666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aquariusgarbag/pseuds/Aquariusgarbag
Summary: As the light hits you, as you shift along the floorI find it hard to place my faceHow did I come to be here anyway?It's terribly vague, what's gone before— Kate Bush, oh to be in loveSteph and Billie have a study date.





	oh to be...

**Author's Note:**

> Hi this is my first time writing an au I tried to make the name changes as obvious but idk anyway
> 
> Steve - Steph  
> Billy - Billie  
> Jonathan - Jennifer  
> Barbara - Brandon
> 
> The younger teens aren’t changed, anyway this is short hope you like :-)
> 
> Also shameless plug for my Harringrove mix https://open.spotify.com/user/toriiymoi/playlist/7hQzVMWVfdjV7VfqkiJRX2?si=HXwymZLIS4SFJorUq7bRVA

As the light hits you, as you shift along the floor  
I find it hard to place my face  
How did I come to be here anyway?  
It's terribly vague, what's gone before

— Kate Bush, oh to be in love

Steph looked up at Billie, who had on one of her mile away expressions on, like when she got into explaining a novel, or when the subject of California or Metallica or her mom came up, but they were looking at each other. Steph didn’t think Billie was thinking about her, but just knowing that the look on her face meant love was enough to make her heart feel gargantuan (an SAT word). She hadn’t recognized love so plainly before, knew it without mistake or doubt, even though she didn’t know what it was directed at. 

Steph stuck her tongue out. Billie made a Billy Idol face back at her, then threw the study guide at her. 

Studying with Billie was a lot better then with Nathan, even the times “studying” with Nathan had meant sex. Steph knew she was pretty stupid (“Pretty, stupid” her dad would joke) but Billie made her feel not stupid. 

The first peer tutoring session had been one of the most harrowing (SAT word) of her life, including encounters with demodogs (“Demodogs, Steph, not demon dogs” lisped Dustin in her head.). She hadn’t snitched when she been getting stitched (haha) but had almost done it when Mrs.Miller assigned her “best ap literature” student to help her write her essay. Still she couldn’t ask her ex to proofread it for her, at least not with Jennifer constantly attached to his hip. 

Billie had read her essay in silence, then asked “Did I do this to you or are you naturally this fucking dumb?” Her voice was almost as exasperated as Nathan’s. Almost. 

”Listen, man, I don’t have to take this shit from you. I’m doing you a solid by not telling mrs Miller her star pupil’s the bitch that beat the shit out of me last month. You can shove it.” 

She left the library after her little tirade, embarrassed and angry, and so, so tired, she had been tired since the shit with Brandan started.

The next day she found a rewritten version of her essay in her locker, with a little ‘sorry princess’ penciled in on the top corner. All in all, it was one of her most successful study sessions up until that point.

Since then Billie hadn’t been as nice and had actually made her do the work herself, which was totally unfair because Billie made writing an essay look like attracting a shark when you’re on your period. But whatever. Making out was slightly better then not having to read. Now she got a kiss for every SAT word she defined correctly, it was an efficacious (that word should be worth two) method.


End file.
